Polzin: What I did and didn't like from Wisconsin football's too-close win over Western Michigan (2024)

Anyone hoping for fireworks to start off Year 2 of the Luke Fickell era left Camp Randall Stadium disappointed.

The Badgers ran 82 plays from scrimmage on offense. Not one of them went for 20 or more yards.

Just as surprising was how it took until late in the game for the University of Wisconsin football team's defense to register a tackle for loss.

Here are some of my quick thoughts on the game:

What I liked

If we can ignore for a second the lack of big plays by the offense, there were some positives from that unit.

Wisconsin was able to sustain long drives without turnovers or penalties bringing those series to a grinding halt. The Badgers’ first four drives of the game went 16, 16, 14 and 14 plays.

That takes a lot out of a defense.

But Phil Longo’s unit needs to make life easier on itself by coming up with a chunk play once in a while.

•Wisconsin redshirt freshman Trech Kekahuna had two key catches on third-and-long plays and added a 2-point conversion to boot.

The Badgers need playmakers to emerge on offense. Kekahuna looks capable of being that type of guy.

What I didn’t like

Tyler Van Dyke’s debut at Wisconsin can best be described as uneven. Maybe that’s too kind.

Van Dyke finished 21 of 36 for 192 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The Miami (Fla.) transfer was fortunate he didn’t get two passes picked off in the red zone, one in each half.

There were some positives, including Van Dyke’s ability to make plays with his feet at times. But he never seemed to get in a rhythm and did way too much back-pedaling, perhaps a result of taking a big hit in the first half that resulted in a targeting penalty.

•The biggest concern I had coming into this season was Wisconsin’s lack of playmakers and depth on the defensive line. It made me wonder if teams were going to gash the Badgers on the ground.

Did I expect that to happen right off the bat? No way.

Western Michigan rushed for 120 yards and averaged 3.6 yards per carry. Those aren’t alarming numbers, yet it seemed like the Broncos were getting way too much push at times, leading to healthy gains between the tackles.

What’s Alabama going to be able to do against this front in two weeks?

• Wisconsin’s special teams was a mess, at least for the most part.

Punt returner Vinny Anthony cost the Badgers roughly 20 yards of field position earlier in the game by letting a ball bounce in front of him. Nathaniel Vakos missed a chip-shot field goal on Wisconsin’s opening possession of the game. And Kekahuna, as mentioned earlier, was a little too anxious on the Badgers’ first kickoff return of the season.

But that unit’s biggest blunder was getting fooled on a fake field goal late in the third quarter. It went for a 26-yard gain and led to a go-ahead score for the Broncos.

This group’s one shining moment was a big one. Atticus Bertrams boomed a 50-yard punt, and the Badgers caught a break when it hit a Western Michigan player and was recovered by Austin Brown to set up the Badgers’ winning touchdown.

What it means

Wisconsin, a 23½-point favorite in this game, clearly has a lot of work to do in all three phases.

Alabama, Penn State and Oregon are still on the list of visitors to Camp Randall Stadium this season. This shouldn’t have been one the Badgers had to sweat out.